Absolutely, Joe. John Curry was a VIP of the first order in the history of figure skating.

I've seen film clips of Peggy Fleming's 1966 World Championships long program - the year she won the first of her three World titles.
In my opinion, that long program was brilliant - a strong medley of technical skills and artistry. Peggy performed a move that no other woman was doing at that time - a spread eagle into a double axel into another spread eagle. It looks impossibly hard to do, but she pulled it off as if it was the easiest move in the world. Peggy was outstanding, and she established herself as the best woman skater in the world - a distinction she held for three glorious years.

I agree with what lots of folks have said: for me, a 'brilliant' program transcends the technique ~ it happens when the skater is so clearly taken over by the program that you just know you're watching something exquisite.

I'm a huge Kwan fan, so I'll just get this out of the way. I tried pick only a couple - I couldn't whittle it down to just one though.

MK: '98 Nats (both SP & LP), 2001 Worlds Qualifying round through LP!!, Nationals 2003 (both SP & LP). I have a very fond memory of Worlds 2003 for MK, but watching Nats and Worlds side-by-side, she was way better in Jan.

Rudy Galindo - Nats 1996 - whole thing, but esp LP

Chen Lu - Oly 1998 LP. At the end she cried - we did too!

Tanja Sczewzenko (I know I have mangled her name) - GP Final 1997-98 season. Her jumps were so amazingly high!

Tara Lipinski - Oly FP 1998. This is begrudging, as I ordinarily don't care for her skating, but she managed to beat MK, not just technically, but with her expression, at the most important time. I'm kinda surprised no one else has mentioned her!

Sarah Hughes - Oly FP 2002. Another skater who put it together at the right time, albeit it a very different way. Sarah was truly transformed on the ice that night. I don't think she would have won, even with the 2 3/3s, if it weren't for her being 'in the zone'.

Drobiasku & Vanegas {the Lithuanians, whose names I've also mangled} - Worlds 2001, Oly 2002 FD. I'm not a huge Ice Dance fan, and perhaps these were very flawed programs, as they didn't even medal either time, but I found both of these programs to be passionate without being over-the-top.

Sk8fan4life - Peggy had that flow over the ice which I'm always insisting on for all skaters. She took the style of Tenley Albright's balletic style and enhanced it further. Her tricks, as you described, were just part of the performance. She didn't shout them at the judges because she was too involved with the music. A truly great and memorable skater!

Originally posted by windspirit Panther, I think you hit the nail on the head with this one.

Brilliant to me would be when a skater's "in the zone". That means, they're very good technically and artistically, of course, but there's something special about their performance that just lift you up from your seat, and takes your breath a-w-a-y. And for a moment you feel genuinely, blissfully happy. And it seems like they're happy like that, too -- and that comes from within them, but it's clear they also feed off the powerful energy of the audience.

Just two examples: Alexei's SP at 2001 Worlds and Michelle's LP at 2003 Nationals.

I agree. Case in Point. Alexei at the Hallmark event this past season. Injured & behind Micheael Weiss going into the LP. He skated to Overcome Like I haven't Seen before. He could not do his quads in the SP. Hence, his 2nd place going into the LP. Talk about intense & powerful. He was able to hold on & do a few triples. But, It was his SOUL that was out there.

That Weekend He Did alot of skating ( 3 Pro/Am Events) In Canada(Not Skate Canada) But again, He Poured his heart out when trying to skate. He really cut back on the jumps but Put more into his performance part of it. If that is at all possible for him to do. & Everyone there loved him all the more for it.

I'd like to add a few competitive performances from the World Professional Championships.....

Janet Lynn -- "The Sound of Music". Granted, this music has been skated to a gazillion times, but with Janet, it's as if we're seeing a program performed to this music for the first time. She was stunning! Great flow, carriage, terrific jumps, and that magical quality that is/was hers alone. You can't teach the kind of quality that Janet Lynn had when she competed - it's a gift, and how fortunate we were to have seen her skate!

Robin Cousins -- "Satan Takes a Holiday". A superb program, full of high-flying jumps, spins, and outstanding toe-tap dancing. How Robin managed to jump up and click his two heels together and immediately proceed with the lightning-quick steps is beyond me. What talent! What energy! Bravo!

Dorothy Hamill - "One Rock 'n Roll Too Many". An energetic, very creative and entertaining program filled with stong jumps and innovative choregraphy. Dorothy wore a costume that, for her, was perhaps a little daring, but she looked gorgeous, and she skated like the great champion she is. Bravo, Dorothy!

I saw a highlight tape of the men's long programs from the 1956 Winter Olympics -- Hayes Jenkins skated a magnificent long program. Long, lean lines, very elegant, great jumps. Of course, his moves looked pretty simple compared with the triples and quads that the men are performing today - but Hayes was a skater's skater - neat and classic.

By the way, Hayes is the husband of 1960 Olympic champion Carol Heiss.

This isn't a competitive program but it is the only Rodnina and Zaitsev program I have seen.
Rodnina and Zaitsev: Kalinka. OMG lighting fast. their foot work sequence just zoomed down that ice. They were so fast and powerful.

Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze: Medi. One of all my all time favorites, and in my opinion one of the greatest figure skating pieces ever created. It has speed, difficult choreogaphy, it is just perfect.

Mishkutenok and Dmitriev: Rachmanioff Piano Concerto. THE program that made me go from just liking figure skating to Loving it. The spins were innovative and wonderful. The footwork at the end. It was filled with intricate choreography and so much emotion.

I really liked Elaine Zayak's 1994 Nationals short and long programs. Granted, they did not feature the most difficult triples, and Elaine did not skate with the speed of the younger skaters.
But she landed her triples, and she proved that a 28-year-old woman can still be competitive against the teenagers.